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National Donut Day: How to Make Donuts At Home And Never Waste Your Food

· 5 min read
Moore
Moore
Tech Writer, Gardening Lover

Every year, people all across the United States come together to celebrate a sweet and sticky holiday known as National Donut Day. In 2025, this delightful day falls on Friday, June 6th.

National Donut Day

Jump To

1. When Is National Donut Day 2025?

2. How to Make Donut at Home

3. Enjoy Your Donuts But Don't Waste Your Food

4. How to Do Food Waste Management

1. When is National Donut Day 2025?​

🍩 National Donut Day was started back in 1938 by The Salvation Army to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. It’s now celebrated on the first Friday of June each year, bringing joy to donut lovers and foodies everywhere. 🍩

Popular donut shops like Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, and Tim Hortons often give away free donuts or offer special deals to celebrate. It’s a great excuse to grab a sweet treat and join in on the fun with friends or family.

🥯 Whether you go out to get a free donut or bake some at home, National Donut Day is the perfect time to celebrate this delicious dessert! 🥯

Dunkin Donuts

2. How to Make Donuts at Home​

Why go out when you can make delicious donuts in your own kitchen? Homemade donuts are fun to make, and they taste even better because they’re fresh and made with love. Let’s break it down step-by-step so anyone—even beginners—can enjoy making donuts.

Ingredients You'll Need:​

  • 2½ cups of all-purpose flour

  • 1 packet of active dry yeast (2¼ tsp)

  • ½ cup of warm milk

  • ¼ cup of granulated sugar

  • ¼ cup of unsalted butter (softened)

  • 1 egg

  • ½ tsp of salt

  • Oil for frying (like vegetable or canola oil)

Optional toppings: powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, chocolate glaze, sprinkles

How to make donuts

Steps to Make Donuts​

Step 1: Make the Dough​

  1. Warm the milk (not hot!) and mix in the yeast and sugar.

  2. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it’s frothy.

  3. Add in the flour, salt, egg, and softened butter. Mix until a soft dough forms.

  4. Knead the dough for about 8 minutes until smooth and stretchy.

  5. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Step 2: Shape the Donuts​

  1. Roll the dough out on a floured surface (about ½ inch thick).

  2. Use a donut cutter or two round cutters to cut out donuts and holes.

  3. Place them on a tray, cover again, and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes.

Step 3: Fry the Donuts​

  1. Heat oil in a deep pot to 350°F (175°C).

  2. Fry a few donuts at a time for about 1 minute per side, or until golden brown.

  3. Remove and place on paper towels to drain the oil.

Step 4: Add Toppings​

  1. Roll in cinnamon sugar.

  2. Dip in melted chocolate and add sprinkles.

  3. Dust with powdered sugar.

And there you go—fresh, homemade donuts! Perfect for celebrating National Donut Day, or just because you feel like a treat.

Donuts

3. Enjoy Your Donuts but Don’t Waste Your Food​

It’s easy to get excited and make too many donuts, especially on a fun holiday like National Donut Day. But while it's great to indulge, we should always try to avoid food waste.

Food Waste Management

Here’s Why Not Wasting Food Matters:​

  • Wasting food means wasting money.

  • It also wastes the resources used to grow and transport the food.

  • Food waste creates harmful gases in landfills that hurt our planet.

Tips to Avoid Wasting Donuts and Other Food:​

1. Make Only What You Need​

Plan ahead. If you're cooking for just a few people, cut the recipe in half.

2. Store Leftovers Properly​

Keep leftover donuts in an airtight container.

You can freeze donuts for later—just reheat in the microwave or oven.

3. Share With Others​

Give extra donuts to neighbors or friends. Share the joy!

4. Compost Extra Donuts For Garden Soil​

If you just have 2 or 3 donuts left, try to break it down in a home composter to make rich-nutrient compost for your garden. This is the most eco-friendly way to celebrate the holiday.

Remember, a little planning goes a long way in making sure we enjoy our food without wasting it.

4. How to Do Food Waste Management​

Food waste management isn’t just about saving money—it’s about protecting our planet. When food goes in the trash, it doesn’t just disappear. It ends up in landfills, where it releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that causes climate change.

The Best Way to Manage Food Waste: Use a Composter​

Using a composter at home is one of the simplest and most effective ways to turn your food waste into something useful—rich compost for your garden!

Donut Food Waste

What Is Composting?​

Composting is the natural process of breaking down organic waste (like banana peels, coffee grounds, and leftover donuts) into a dark, nutrient-rich soil called compost.

Why Composting Is Good:​

  1. Improves soil health in gardens and pots.
  2. Reduces landfill waste, lowering pollution.
  3. Saves money on fertilizer.
  4. Supports plants, helping them grow better and stronger.

How Does Donut Transform to Compost

How to Start Composting at Home:​

  1. Get a composter —you can find these at GEME.
  2. Collect kitchen scraps like fruit peels, veggies, eggshells, and coffee grounds.
  3. Mix with yard waste —leaves, grass clippings, and twigs work well.
  4. Turn the GEME home composter on —within 6-8 hours, you’ll have dark, crumbly compost ready to use!

❌ Meat and dairy

❌ Greasy foods

❌ Plastic or glass

❌ Pet waste

Using a composter at home is a great way to manage food waste responsibly. Not only do you reduce trash, but you also give back to nature. Although donuts are a bit greasy, a few of them like 2 or 3 are not a big deal for GEME electric composter. ✅

GEME composter helps food waste management

Conclusion​

National Donut Day is all about fun, flavor, and a bit of tradition. Whether you're visiting Dunkin Donuts for a free treat or making your own donuts at home, remember to celebrate responsibly. Don't let those delicious bites go to waste—share, store, or repurpose your extras.

And most importantly, help our planet 🌍 by learning how to manage your food waste the right way. A simple composter in your kitchen or backyard can make a big difference. Let's enjoy our food, treat ourselves every now and then, and care for our environment all at once. 🌳

How to Transform Food Waste Into Rich Compost

Garden Soil vs Compost

When Is Compost Ready to Use

SEE ALSO​

About National Donut Day National Donut Day (June 6th, 2025) National Donut Day 2025: Where to get the best freebies

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